Tag: Review

Review: The Patriots – Sana Krasikov

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The Patriots – Sana Krasikov
Release Date: 02/03/2017
Publisher: Granta Books (UK) (Review Copy Provided)
Pages: pp. 560 RRP: £12.99 (Hardcover)
Kindle edition available here (£8.54)

For your debut novel to cover such complex topics as identity, loyalty and the manipulation of truth, all intertwined in the complex historical relationship between the US and the Soviet Union, is a bold choice indeed. To cover theses topics, convey such a rich, evocative portrait of Moscow through the ages, and to lend a genuine sense of danger in a narrative marks Sana Krasikov’s debut novel, The Patriots, as one to take your time reading.

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Review: White Tears – Hari Kunzru

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White Tears – Hari Kunzru
Release Date: 06/04/2017
Publisher: Hamish Hamilton (UK) (Review Copy Provided)
Pages: pp. 288 RRP: £14.99 (Hardcover)
Kindle edition available for preorder here (£8.99)

When two young record producers, Seth and Carter, covertly record a hooded black man in a public square as part of an elaborate hoax, we’re led on an incredible narrative that slowly shifts into a paranormal revenge fantasy intertwined with the history of racism and cultural appropriation in America – a narrative handled deftly by Hari Kunzru.

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Review: Skintown – Ciarán McMenamin

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Skintown – Ciarán McMenamin
Release Date: 06/04/2017
Publisher: Doubleday (Review Copy Provided)
Pages: pp. 288 RRP: £12.99 (Hardback)
Kindle edition available for preorder here (£9.49)

After I finished reading Skintown, I got the feeling that there are probably going to be a lot of lazy comparisons to Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting (not least because of the recent release of Danny Boyle’s sequel to the film adaptation) when the novel is released in a few months. Some people might see the combination of drugs and ‘not English city’ and draw their flawed conclusion. Those people are missing out on a hilarious, energetic work that drags you along on one hell of a trip.

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Review: Moonglow – Michael Chabon

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Moonglow – Michael Chabon
Release Date: 26/01/2017
Publisher: Fourth Estate
Pages: pp. 448 RRP: £18.99 (Hardback)
Kindle edition available here (£9.99)

It’s not often that I read a memoir that seeks to play with the boundary between fact and fiction. Most simply present reality with a bit more flavour – Michael Chabon’s Moonglow goes further, and is a welcome return to form.

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Review: Homegoing – Yaa Gyasi

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Homegoing – Yaa Gyasi
Release Date: 05/01/2017
Publisher: Viking (UK)
Pages: pp. 320 RRP: £12.99 (Hardback)
Kindle edition available here (£9.99)

Not since I read Toni Morrison’s Beloved have I been knocked down by a book, let alone a debut novel. Before I begin, I can safely say that Ghanian-American author Yaa Gyasi’s debut has deserved every bit of hype it got in the run up to release day, and it’s already a strong contender for one of my favourite releases of the year, even at this early stage.

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Recommended Reading: January 2017

After a bit of time off due to a combination of workload and the plague, I’m back with a few more recommendations.

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Difficult Women – Roxane Gay
Release Date: 03/01/2017
Publisher: Corsair
Pages: pp. 272 RRP: £13.99 (Paperback)
Kindle edition available here (£7.99)

I won’t hide it – I’m a fan of Roxane Gay’s work. Ever since I was directed to read Bad Feminist, I’ve always made time to read her work (including her amazing run on Marvel’s World of Wakanda series, alongside Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Black Panther series) . So when it was announced that a collection of her short stories was going to be released, I picked up a copy as soon as it came out.

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